Brothers and Sisters: 36 Hours

(S02E07) "Well, who'd chain you the radiator and poke you with a stick?" Sarah, knitting.

Meh. This episode was fine. It wasn't special. It was just kind of... filler. And I don't mean to cast aspersions on the show at all: That is what shows do leading up to November sweeps. They can't have anything really important happen right now. I hesitate to say anything negative about the writing these days because I fully support the WGA strike. But this episode felt forced. They totally set it up a few weeks ago when Justin started taking pain killers again, and they gave themselves a convenient family "crisis" to deal with now.

I don't mean to seem dismissive of drug abuse: I'm not. It is a serious deal that Justin was using drugs again. But for a show that is so good at creating real tension and drama, the focus was much more on the revelations about all of the men on the show than about Justin's detox. Justin's primary role was to serve as the catalyst that brought everyone together, and then, in his tirade during his intervention, to summarize the season to date: Kevin can't hold onto a guy (I've been dating for months"); Sarah's ex-husband took her kids; Tommy's wife and child took off. Kitty is the only one he can't bring himself to rail against, so she plays the miscarriage card to get him to calm down.

Where did Rebecca go after she and Holly ratted him out? Shouldn't they have stuck around to see the carnage and make sandwiches and tea or something?

Nora

Nora finally figured out that her relationship with Justin needs to change. She is so indulgent with him that not only does she make him take painkillers, but then she lets him detox at home! I was right along with the kids thinking she was going to open the door and let Justin get some air, so her tough love took place in the turning of the lock and effectively locking him out of her sympathies as she locked him into the house.

Saul

Saul finally comes out to Nora in ways he can't come out to Kevin. I wrote in my notes, "It's not cool to out somebody before they are ready," and that is exactly what Kevin is trying to do. He reveres Saul so much as a father figure that he figures that Saul owes it to him to have come out before this to protect Kevin. But Saul is still living in the past. And boy, he is getting pissed at everything in his life he has given up because he was unable (afraid) to be openly gay. As for whether he should have told Nora, well, of course not. Would you have told Nora if she were your sister? Kevin still doesn't know (except, of course, that he knows).

Kevin

It's only a matter of time before Kevin and Scotty get together. I feel sorry for Kevin and Tommy that they think they can't be monogamous either because of William's legacy or because of being male. That is lame and stupid. I remember when Uma Thurman divorced Ethan Hawke, she said, "All men cheat." Goldie Hawn has said that as well. I don't care if it's true (and I naively think that it is not true), it's still lame. Poor Nora telling them that they have both been better fathers than William Walker ever was: Well, that isn't completely true, is it?

Kevin admits his frustration with Jason never contacting him. Do you think Jason is dead? And how will that affect Robert and the campaign? I mean, come on, Kevin is basically moving on, so let's talk politics.

Robert and Kitty

Which leads us to Robert, who fired a quarter of his staff tonight. I loved it when he told Travis that he didn't fire him because that would lead to talk that the campaign was in trouble. "Look, I'm warning you. Don't mistake my kindness for weakness again. I am the most ambitious man you will ever meet." They are finally giving him some teeth. Well, I knew it was too good to be true, that he couldn't really be a saint. I just haven't figured out yet whether I like the new Robert they are unveiling. He is honest with everyone else in his life that he doesn't want to have more kids: Does he really think this won't get back to Kitty?

Kitty is sorting through whether or not she thinks she can be a good mother, and taking care of Justin (of course) makes her realize that she really wants a child. I think Robert does feel some guilt about what his political career has done to his kids so far: Being the president with a baby isn't exactly a formula for a happy family. So, maybe Kitty is not the woman for him.

Tommy

Tommy is going to wish he had fired Lena in five, four, three, two... Lena mocks him when he ends it: "What is this, like the third time?" Maybe it's Tommy who needs an intervention so he can rid himself of his addiction to Lena. Then her snotty, "I can't wait to see how you're going to do [not letting this affect things at work.]" She is going to be trouble. Just make her a settlement and fire her, or transfer her down to Ojai foods and let Sarah turn her into mincemeat.

Um, that reminds me of a line from Kitty: Sarah oozing maternity? Huh? I mean, I think Sarah is a good mother, but she is also a cutthroat bitch most of the time. Kitty thinks she is less cuddly than Sarah? Complete lack of self-awareness going on there, let me tell you.

I don't know how many more episodes we have before Brothers and Sisters is affected by the strike, I know that they have episodes written through January. However, Ron Rifkin, Sally Field, and Rachel Griffiths have been seen supporting the writers out at the picket lines, so I don't know whether filming will continue or not. But I'm looking forward to next week.

i think the oozy maternity is based on the fact that she loves her kids and kitty worries she won't be able to show that kind of affection. she will be good at organizing their schedules and planning parties but not actually being emotionally supportive.

i liked the episode but its true, nothing really happened. although i still kind of feel bad for tommy, even though i normally hate cheaters on tv and real life. i like lena way more than his wife too.